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686,000 people sought help with Thriveworks in the last year

Discover how starting therapy with a child can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

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Elizabeth Westmoreland

Hear from Elizabeth Westmoreland, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

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What is your go-to approach for child therapy?

My go-to approach for helping kids in child therapy is engaging them in games or activities they enjoy to build rapport first. I’ve found that building a rapport is the most important thing with children and it's difficult for them to open up unless they feel completely safe and comfortable.

What tools do you teach in child therapy?

I teach the following tools in child therapy: emotion regulation, deep breathing, guided imagery, anger management, and self-esteem.

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in child therapy?

I know a client is making meaningful progress in child therapy when they are able to utilize skills we’ve learned in sessions in their real lives. It’s one thing to talk about and practice a skill in therapy, but it’s another thing to actually apply it to real life.

What can clients do in their personal time to supplement child therapy?

Clients can supplement their time in child therapy by engaging other adults and important people in their lives. Children do not exist in a vacuum, and it’s so important to incorporate all the important people in their lives into their treatment.

What should someone do to prepare for starting child therapy?

To prepare for their first child therapy session, parents can explain to their child that therapists are helpers. They can also explain why they feel therapy will be helpful to the child.

Starting Child therapy

What is child therapy?

Child therapy, also known as counseling for kids, helps young individuals better understand and manage the challenges that affect their mental health. Common challenges amongst kids include behavioral issues, trauma, bullying, depression, and anxiety. All ages of children can attend and benefit from child therapy at Thriveworks Providence.

How does child therapy work?

Child therapy works by using multiple techniques tailored to fit the child’s needs based on their age group, their challenges, and the severity of their challenges. It might involve play therapy for younger kids or cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, art therapy, and others for varying ages. In any case, Thriveworks child therapists in Providence, RI have the expertise and experience to help kids at their level.

Play therapy vs. child therapy

Child therapy is a type of therapy meant for clients within a specific age group, while play therapy is an approach to therapy that helps children with self-expression and stress relief, among others. Play therapy is a technique that is often used in child therapy to help children express what’s running through their minds when they do not have the words to express their thoughts and emotions. It can get children to express what’s wrong, what might be causing unwanted behaviors, or what they might need in a way that is accessible to them so that therapists can then work to treat the issue.

How to tell if my child needs counseling

It’s not always obvious when a child should see a therapist for their behavior, though in the midst of challenges like divorce, loss, bullying, and other mental health conditions, it’s often a good idea to seek it out. Common behaviors that can indicate a need for child therapy include separation anxiety, bedwetting (at inappropriate ages), and agitation/excessive irritability — especially if it reaches a point of physical violence.

What type of therapy is best for children?

Cognitive behavioral therapy at Thriveworks in Providence, RI is one of the best types of therapy for children. However, it can be administered in child therapy sessions in a variety of ways that are more accessible to young minds, such as play therapy.

Is child therapy conducted in person or online?

Child therapy at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long does child therapy last?

The length of child therapy depends on your child’s needs as well as the goals that you and their therapist might have for them. Generally, child therapy sessions will last for several months.

How much does child therapy cost?

At Thriveworks, we accept most major insurance plans, allowing many clients to pay as little as $0–$50 per session with their co-pay. We also offer self-pay options for those out-of-network or without insurance. Self-pay rates for talk therapy range from $160 to $240 for intake sessions and $135 to $195 for follow-ups, depending on your state. For psychiatry services, self-pay intake sessions are $255–$375, with follow-ups ranging from $175–$300, also varying by state. More information on current self-pay costs is available on our pricing page.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Providence therapists and counselors accept 24 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | BCBS

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island Medicare Advantage

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • Harvard Pilgrim

  • Humana Exchange

  • Humana HMO/POS

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Self-pay costs at Providence
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

5.0 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
Rasheed Is my therapist and he really helps me a lot . I would recommend coming here. It’s a really nice place and Rasheed is a really good therapist.!!
Read more Rasheed Is my therapist and he really helps me a lot . I would recommend coming here. It’s a really nice place and Rasheed is a really good therapist.!!
Riley Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Vivian provides a welcoming conversational space for exchange. She is able to listen with genuine care and when the time is right give feedback that is both empathetic and constructive. If I have to share a problem with her that might be difficult to share with even a close friend, I feel she is able to help coach me along with a patient reassurance that my thoughts and feelings will be considered without judgment. There may not always be a direct or immediate answer to what I’m working through but she is able to encourage healthy thought-habits and emotional strategies which help me to progress. I really appreciate her respectful frame of mind and down-to-earth personality, they make talking with her worthwhile.
Read more Vivian provides a welcoming conversational space for exchange. She is able to listen with genuine care and when the time is right give feedback that is both empathetic and constructive. If I have to share a problem with her that might be difficult to share with even a close friend, I feel she is able to help coach me along with a patient reassurance that my thoughts and feelings will be considered without judgment. There may not always be a direct or immediate answer to what I’m working through but she is able to encourage healthy thought-habits and emotional strategies which help me to progress. I really appreciate her respectful frame of mind and down-to-earth personality, they make talking with her worthwhile.
Providence Apr 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Therapy Providence is located at 245 Waterman St Suite 504A, Providence, RI 02906, between Wayland Ave. and Butler Ave.

Phone number

(401) 235-4170

Languages spoken by RI providers

  • English
  • Filipino
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm

Shown in ET

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